# Hookah madness lol



## eyesack

I know this isn't cigar-related, but it is tobacco nonetheless! For our end-of-semester get together, a few classmates and friends of mine went out to a local hookah-bar, Cous Cous. It was a smoky night indeed!
My friend Larry:


















John:


















Me:









and me and my gf, Tracy:









Man, even though I smoke cigs, after smoking that hookah, my lungs were feelin' a little crispy the next day. Probably not a good idea to do this every day, but it was fun! Good food, bellydancing, and almost as good as a herf! Almost. lol


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## Zfog

Sweet looks like you had a good time. I wouldn't try that since I had a lung collapse a few years back, so you can do it for me. haha


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## Rock31

Looks like a great time! Nice way to celebrate the end of a semester at school!



So anyone here know about Hookahs? My wife has been hounding me to get one for her but I don't have a clue where to start! If anyone has a recommendation PM me with them PLEASE!


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## Scardinoz

Spencer's has 'em.


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## Jordan303

Rock- One of the most trusted names for hookahs is mya. Anything mya will surely work well for you. There are a few options for the base. Either glass or plastic (acrylic), either one works great and no real pros or cons to either. There are a lot of websites that sell hookahs and one my favourites is hookah-shisha.com they offer a lot of free crap with every purchase. As for the size well the smaller the easier to clean, the bigger the cooler the smoke. I still think the best safest cheapest starter hookah is the mya acrylic because the glass wont break. On that website it is labled as the mini mya. 

It will come with everything you need including cleaning brushes etc... But you're still going to want more tobacco and coals. As for coals there are 2 kinds quicklites and natural. Quicklites are simple just put a match to them they sparkle up and turn red. Once they are red put them on your bowl. Naturals will impart less of a charcoal flavour and are usually cheaper but they have the be heated up on the stove. Either way the craze seams to be coconaras at the moment.

As for the tobacco (shisha) there are again 2 main types. Washed and unwashed. Unwashed has a nicotine content on 0.5 while washed has 0.05 Basically unwashed will give you a wicked buzz. Lots of brands to choose from but the most trusted brands are al falker (washed) tangiers (unwashed and really hard to smoke well), nakla (unwashed cheap and very good) starbuzz (over priced), al waha (unwashed, cheap, very good) and romman is exclusive to hookah-shisha. You will get 2 free samples when you buy your hookah so see how you like it.

As for setting it up tons of vids on youtube, and the only hard part is packing the bowl. Again watch a vid on you tube and you'll be fine, its far easier then learning to smoke a pipe.

any other questions just ask.


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## demo

Ahh someone else that smokes hookah!  I have a bunch of little ones I always smoke on my day off, so much fun to do tricks n such


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## CaptainBlenderman

I've been wondering about hookahs actually. There is a hookah lounge here close by and I've been curious to try it out. Don't know jack about hookahs though...


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## demo

CaptainBlenderman said:


> I've been wondering about hookahs actually. There is a hookah lounge here close by and I've been curious to try it out. Don't know jack about hookahs though...


Google some info on them, tutorials, vids, etc. You'll find out they're a neat little hobby to pick up


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## eyesack

Haha cool to know so many brothers enjoy other forms of tobacco! I have a pretty decent piece of my own, 2 tubes and blue acrylic. My sister and I used to smoke it every night when I lived with her. Nothing like bonding over a bowl of tobacco! Do they make filters for the mouth pieces? Im half-tempted to see just how much tar you suck when you smoke these lol, not like I'm really worried otherwise I wouldn't smoke.


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## Zfog

eyesack said:


> Haha cool to know so many brothers enjoy other forms of tobacco! I have a pretty decent piece of my own, 2 tubes and blue acrylic. My sister and I used to smoke it every night when I lived with her. Nothing like bonding over a bowl of tobacco! Do they make filters for the mouth pieces? Im half-tempted to see just how much tar you suck when you smoke these lol, not like I'm really worried otherwise I wouldn't smoke.


Well I don't really smoke a hookah. Once upon a time I was quite experienced with another form of Hookah. lol. Back in the day.
Anyway the water is supposed to filter out most of the impurities. But as with any form of smoking. Your gonna be inhaling some tar!


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## eyesack

Zfog said:


> Well I don't really smoke a hookah. Once upon a time I was quite experienced with another form of Hookah. lol. Back in the day.
> Anyway the water is supposed to filter out most of the impurities. But as with any form of smoking. Your gonna be inhaling some tar!


Bahaha yeah man! They didn't call it "high" school for nothin' lmao! I don't even drink alcohol anymore, so tobacco's my mistress lol. I think they make some other non-tobacco shisha that is supposed to be less tar/no nicotine. Meh, too much work now to smoke that thing lol. Rather just smoke a cigar!


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## demo

eyesack said:


> Bahaha yeah man! They didn't call it "high" school for nothin' lmao! I don't even drink alcohol anymore, so tobacco's my mistress lol. I think they make some other non-tobacco shisha that is supposed to be less tar/no nicotine. Meh, too much work now to smoke that thing lol. Rather just smoke a cigar!


I tried the non-tobacco shisha you speak of..it sucksuke:haha it tastes nothing like normal shisha. I'm sure they make filter mouthpieces but I wouldn't worry that's why the water's there


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## drez

I have about 7 hookah. And about 40 - 50 different flavors of shisa. 

If you want a good starter hookah go for the Maya qt. Is small and compact and is very easy to set up and maintain. 

As for tobacco shisha you can stick with al fakar (aslo called af) but they have had some issues in the past couple years for bad / inconsistent batches. Other good brands I would recommend looking into would be jm hookah and the the af golden line

When your ready to try unwashed shisha try nakla. Most people love the sweet melon. Don't be scared to try it either just treat it like a cigar take one puff every minute and if you start to feel the nicotine buzz put it down and grab a soda. 

There are some good forums out there with alot of info. If anyone wants more detailed info please feel free to pm me and I'll help you all out. 

Happy smoking!


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## Rock31

Thank you for the suggestions everyone! Anything to keep the woman happy LOL!


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## fuente~fuente

Looks like fun Isaac!


I bought one about a month ago... Double tubes, stands about a foot & a half tall. Thought it'd be cool to try out. Not something I'll do everyday, but it's a cool little change of pace, & actually fun to do with the wifey. 

Some of you Hookah pro's can drop a little knowledge on me for some shisha that's a little more potent though. I thought it was a tad light for me. Blueberry was the flavor! :lol:


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## TunaGod06

Rock31 said:


> Looks like a great time! Nice way to celebrate the end of a semester at school!
> 
> So anyone here know about Hookahs? My wife has been hounding me to get one for her but I don't have a clue where to start! If anyone has a recommendation PM me with them PLEASE!


Visit Hookah Pro

It has video tutorials, pipe suggestions, shisha suggestions, etc.

I spent quite a bit of time there before purchasing my little hookah.


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## eyesack

Ah, you need the straight up Arabic stuff, no flavoring, straight up tobacco. I hear it'll put a whoopin' on ya! Not sure where to get it; it's been a while since I've bought any shisha.


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## Broz

eyesack said:


> Ah, you need the straight up Arabic stuff, no flavoring, straight up tobacco. I hear it'll put a whoopin' on ya! Not sure where to get it; it's been a while since I've bought any shisha.


Exactly. Hookah these days is tobacco reduced to mere vegetal matter drenched in honey/molasses/glycerin and flavorings (i.e. Starbuzz, which is the worst offender). At that point it isn't tobacco anymore but it's very popular with hipster college students. It is hard to find natural tobacco flavors, although Nakhla does export a couple: Zaghloul and Khan el Khalili.

I stopped smoking hookah because my lungs started to feel like crap.


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## jswaykos

I used to own a hookah and smoked it quite a bit when I was in college. Can't remember why I got rid of, just didn't want to move with it, I guess. Or perhaps I passed it on to someone? It's been a while since I've smoked shisha, though I'll admit that I've only ever had the flavored kind.


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## Herf N Turf

Isaac, I have no hookah stories I can talk about here, but what I _can _say is that, that chick is WAY better looking than you, she is supportive and buys you cigars. If you ever dump her, you deserve to die in a fire.

Just call me first and give me her number. 

Merry Christmas, Bro!


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## eyesack

LOL Don! I knew that one was coming! Merry Xmas to you too brother!


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## fivespdcat

If some of you guys are looking for a good arghile (hookah) I would not go with the Mya's. They are OK, but they're Chinese made and knock-offs of the originals. While I have a couple of Mya's, the Syrian and Egyptian made ones are way better. I also would not go with any acrylic pipes as they break (bowl cracks or discolors) quickly. 

As for tobacco, it's pretty much up to the individuals. I prefer Al Fakher over just about anything out there and can't really stand Starbuzz. If anyone want's any tips just PM me, I've been at it for a while and learned from many old arghile masters....


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## UIVandal

I know a LOT about hookahs, I actually started smoking with a hookah and regularly smoke one (4-5 times a week)

I can be a fountain of information for anyone wondering about them.

Don't get a mya >.<


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## eyesack

I think mine's from HookahTown.com if they're still in business. The hoses are crappy and filled with sawdust (?) lol but it does the job. Someday if I feel the need to upgrade, what would be better than a Mya?


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## UIVandal

eyesack said:


> I think mine's from HookahTown.com if they're still in business. The hoses are crappy and filled with sawdust (?) lol but it does the job. Someday if I feel the need to upgrade, what would be better than a Mya?


You can't beat a Nammor hose from hookah-shisha.com

ANY Khalil Mamoon from Hookahstore.com will put you in business

I also like the Nammor brand hookahs from hookah-shisha.com, I have a cleopatra myself.


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## drez

I have 3 khaili mamoons and a mya QT. Honestly spend the little extra and buy a khaili. The qt is good cause it's really easy to set up and clean and smoke but the khaili smoke the best. It's a effortless draw and they are just better built both for looks and function. 

I'm also a member of hookah pro and have been for a couple years. It's a great site with alot of info. 

I'll post a few links when I get home to some good site for shisha and pipes


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## fivespdcat

Here in Metro-Detroit, I've never really noticed brands, but you get to know the maker's "tells." It's one thing that if possible you do in person, because you want to look at the quality of the pipe and hose and see how well matched everything is (obviously you can buy your hoses separately, as many have favorites, I do!). My favorite right now is one that my best friend scoured Jerusalem for, amazing enough the majority of ones there are Chinese too, unless you know Arabic... I started smoking with my dad on old school hookahs and then moved to the "new" type Mya's and eventually came back and wow what a difference!

I would also recommend the "Syrian" type with the male heads as opposed to the others that use female heads. All Brass internals are also very nice and much preferred. Make sure everything is sealed up tight by putting your hand over the top (where the head goes) and sucking in. You'll know it if it isn't sealed.


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## eyesack

fivespdcat said:


> Here in Metro-Detroit, I've never really noticed brands, but you get to know the maker's "tells." It's one thing that if possible you do in person, because you want to look at the quality of the pipe and hose and see how well matched everything is (obviously you can buy your hoses separately, as many have favorites, I do!). My favorite right now is one that my best friend scoured Jerusalem for, amazing enough the majority of ones there are Chinese too, unless you know Arabic... I started smoking with my dad on old school hookahs and then moved to the "new" type Mya's and eventually came back and wow what a difference!
> 
> I would also recommend the "Syrian" type with the male heads as opposed to the others that use female heads. All Brass internals are also very nice and much preferred. Make sure everything is sealed up tight by putting your hand over the top (where the head goes) and sucking in. You'll know it if it isn't sealed.


My grandma left us a Hookah from Israel. Big and brass and shiney/decorative looking, although I've never tried smoking from it. Does brass effect the taste of the smoke at all? I'll have to check it out one day and maybe refurbish it so it's smokable!


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## fivespdcat

eyesack said:


> My grandma left us a Hookah from Israel. Big and brass and shiney/decorative looking, although I've never tried smoking from it. Does brass effect the taste of the smoke at all? I'll have to check it out one day and maybe refurbish it so it's smokable!


The brass ones are really old school. We generally have them for decoration only. The one's we smoke are glass bottoms with a single brass tube covered in some sort of decorative chrome leading to the bowl. You can see what they look like in my pic above. But either way with that sort of history, I would fire it up at least once just for nostalgia!


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## gibson_es

nice! i remember when i smoked hookah, friend of mine still lived with his folks so he got a hookah but left it at my place, were he was 90% of the time anyway, we would drink, smoke hookah, and play cards like 5 nights a week. lol.

i have actually recently thought about getting a hookah, i know some people frown at them, but that just too bad for them


we actually got cheap vodka, stored it in the freezer so it would get colder then possible with water, and use that in the hooka instead of water, it made it smoother because of the temp. and it didnt really change the flavor that we could tell, but we were usually drinking too, so hard to say.


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## UIVandal

I have 3 hookahs, if you need any help purchasing, be sure to ask!

I'm considering selling them, I'm not sure yet.


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## gibson_es

UIVandal said:


> I have 3 hookahs, if you need any help purchasing, be sure to ask!
> 
> I'm considering selling them, I'm not sure yet.


well if you decide to sell, let me know.


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## UIVandal

gibson_es said:


> well if you decide to sell, let me know.


What size of a Hookah are you interested in? PM me


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## gibson_es

PM sent...




... see what you did isaac! i blame you! lol.


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## jimrockford

During my last deployment, I made a few trips to Souq Waqif in Doha, Qatar to enjoy some good food and hookah. Like some have said, your lungs can really take a beating. I was amazed at how deeply the employees inhaled as they prepared the hookahs for use. To think they do that all day, every day, makes me wonder what kind of health problems they have. Still, it makes for a very relaxing evening.


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## UIVandal

Idk why you guys have problems inhaling, Hookah smoke is the smoothest stuff ever if it's prepared right. 

You must have had some seriously burnt stuff!


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## rcruz1211

I smoked with my terp in Iraq all the time...its such a smooth smoke and the flavors are awesome!


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## gibson_es

they didnt hurt my longs one bit, but then again, i was smoking alot of different thinks back then that you inhale. lol. dont think my longs can take too much now, ima have to start slowly.


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## UIVandal

Shisha is REALLY easy to burn, and once you've done that it's nearly impossible to smoke.

If you keep it cool though, you can't even tell you're inhaling smoke. It is really quite awesome!


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## fivespdcat

for me it's not the actual act of inhaling that causes problems, but the after effects. If I smoke hookah regularly, my lung capacity is definitely reduced.


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## UIVandal

my guess is the moisture from the smoke causes a decline in lung capacity.

It's incredibly moist smoke, and that's my guess as to why you might think there are after affects.


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## jimrockford

fivespdcat said:


> for me it's not the actual act of inhaling that causes problems, but the after effects. If I smoke hookah regularly, my lung capacity is definitely reduced.


Exactly. It's deceptively smooth and easy to inhale. It's the next morning when I feel the effect.


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## UIVandal

The only way it'd come across as hurting the next day is if it were burnt when you smoked it. 

It's incredibly odd to me that you guys find aftereffects to hookah. A lot of people smoke it because of the fact that there are no effects, especially compared to cigarettes.


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## fuente~fuente

I'm not crazy about having to inhale either... You really can't smoke it like a cigar. You really have to inhale... It's extremely smooth though, & the flavors are very good! 

I'm tempted to list mine here in the WTS section, as I've only used it three times... The weather, & lack of my spouse's interest to smoke it with me has me seriously thinking about it. :ask:


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## UIVandal

it's designed to inhale, but I have friends who don't.


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## fivespdcat

regardless if burnt or not you will have after affects. I have a pretty wide base to draw from here in Detroit or better yet Dearborn. It's generally accepted as being so. My family has probably been smoking for hundreds of years and we know it to be the truth. I do not have any scientific studies only overwhelming anecdotal evidence. 

I'm not sure if it's the moisture or just the pure volume of smoke thought. I tend to dry out my tobacco before use though...


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## eyesack

Yeah, it's like eating cheeseburgers every day not expecting to see a rise in your cholesterol. Meh; only live once, right?


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## UIVandal

I've been smoking daily for over a year and a half, and I have never had ill effects unless it was burnt.

Drying out shisha is a terrible idea, as the entire purpose of a hookah is to vaporize the syrups and moisture in the tobacco. Without those, the smoke becomes overly dry and hot.

That will definitely lead to a sore throat/lungs.

There isn't much scientific evidence around for hookahs, reliable evidence that is. Anecdotal is basically all we've got.


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## whodeeni

Very interesting thread. I smoke the fruity stuff every now and then with a friend, but wouldn't mind trying it the "old world" way


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## gibson_es

eyesack said:


> Yeah, it's like eating cheeseburgers every day not expecting to see a rise in your cholesterol. Meh; only live once, right?


im a man that loves my food, and everytime someone tells me smoking kills, i tell them "not before the hamburger does"

im a firm believer that too many mcdonalds french fries will kill you before cigerettes will (i stopped smoking a couple years ago, but am still a firm believer in this)

so keep puffin what ever you want, because those people telling you smoking kills, will probably die of a hear attack before you die of lung cancer.


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## shannensmall

My roommate smokes hookah on the rare occasion, he has 2 pipes (if that's what you call em). He keeps his "tobacco" in the fridge. The other day I decide to have a peek at it. In the tins is this goopy looking mess that for what I could tell didn't have one bit of tobacco in it. It looked more like cherry pie filling. Is this normal?


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## UIVandal

Eh, everything is said to cause cancer or kill you in some other horrible way.

I'm not too concerned, I'd sooner my hobby do me in than a piece of construction paper or a cell phone.


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## fivespdcat

UIVandal said:


> I've been smoking daily for over a year and a half, and I have never had ill effects unless it was burnt.
> 
> Drying out shisha is a terrible idea, as the entire purpose of a hookah is to vaporize the syrups and moisture in the tobacco. Without those, the smoke becomes overly dry and hot.
> 
> That will definitely lead to a sore throat/lungs.
> 
> There isn't much scientific evidence around for hookahs, reliable evidence that is. Anecdotal is basically all we've got.


Evan,

I think you're getting the wrong Idea. By drying out I mean I pat it down with paper towel to remove excess moisture. It is never baked out or completely dry. But much dryer than a liquid which is what the tobacco come's packed in. I have been smoking arghile for over 10 years my Dad has been smoking for 60, my grandparents before then and so on and so on. You may not notice, but try to run a few miles or work out and you will notice a difference between days you do and days you don't. Also not smoking for 2 weeks will show a great improvement.

I know everyone has their own way of making arghile and that's a personal preference. So if you like it to be "wet" that's fine. I like mine dryer and therefore smokier. It is not acrid or bitter it tastes great! I've been served thousands and probably served thousands of arghile's without complaint. It's an art form to create the perfect smoke, you need to have a technique that is developed and learned.

BTW original tobacco used, did not have syrup. It's called Al Ajami, just dry block tobacco soaked in water with the coal placed directly on it without foil. The syrup and glaze were added later for flavor.


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## fivespdcat

shannensmall said:


> My roommate smokes hookah on the rare occasion, he has 2 pipes (if that's what you call em). He keeps his "tobacco" in the fridge. The other day I decide to have a peek at it. In the tins is this goopy looking mess that for what I could tell didn't have one bit of tobacco in it. It looked more like cherry pie filling. Is this normal?


Yes this is normal for some tobaccos. Some of them have less of the syrup, some more. If you are down to the very last bits it can look very much like cherry pie filling. This is why I pat down the excess moisture to limit the "goop."


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## UIVandal

stirring your tobacco avoids that entirely


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## gibson_es

shit man, we must have been hookah morons, lol we just put that shit in there with a hot coal on top and puffed away, never had any ill effects.


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## UIVandal

fivespdcat said:


> Evan,
> 
> I think you're getting the wrong Idea. By drying out I mean I pat it down with paper towel to remove excess moisture. It is never baked out or completely dry. But much dryer than a liquid which is what the tobacco come's packed in. I have been smoking arghile for over 10 years my Dad has been smoking for 60, my grandparents before then and so on and so on. You may not notice, but try to run a few miles or work out and you will notice a difference between days you do and days you don't. Also not smoking for 2 weeks will show a great improvement.
> 
> I know everyone has their own way of making arghile and that's a personal preference. So if you like it to be "wet" that's fine. I like mine dryer and therefore smokier. It is not acrid or bitter it tastes great! I've been served thousands and probably served thousands of arghile's without complaint. It's an art form to create the perfect smoke, you need to have a technique that is developed and learned.
> 
> BTW original tobacco used, did not have syrup. It's called Al Ajami, just dry block tobacco soaked in water with the coal placed directly on it without foil. The syrup and glaze were added later for flavor.


The liquid is included in neo tobaccos for more than just flavor. It protects the cheap tobacco from burning, which is what causes the pain that most people talk about.

I'm a powerlifter, so I work out constantly. I have never noticed effects from smoking hookah/narghile/arghile whatever you want to call it.

I'm familiar with how to prepare shisha for smoking, thank you. I already knew about the "original tobacco used", and it's not even meant to be smoked in a typical bowl, whether it be phunnel, vortex, or egyptian.

I hope, and will give you the benefit of the doubt, that the condescension I am picking up is something that is only in my head.


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## gibson_es

seriously guys, no need for a flame war, i can see were ths will end up, i warn you the mods are not light footed, and i have seen people recieve bans for bad arguements. lets face it, you will never agree with each other on this subject, and will never persuade the other to see your view. agree to disagree might sound cliche, but i think its what yall need to do, 

i will also ad that no matter the tobacco, if you think you know everything about it, you will miss out on learning alot, this goes for the both of you, i cant say who is right or who is wrong, hookah is not my thing, but i can say that as CIGAR smokers, this is not what we do. if you MUST speak your mind to the other party, i ask please do so in PM. i obviously cannot make you, i just ask for your respect on the matter. 

that is all.


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## UIVandal

I just don't want people shying away from potentially trying hookah with people listing side affects that don't necessarily exist. 

It would be akin to saying pipe tobacco causes tongue bite. It CAN, but it SHOULDN'T.

It's not intended to be a flame war, I just want things portrayed positively, and without the idea that it is any more difficult than a cigar or a pipe to enjoy.


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## gibson_es

no worries, just watching out for my fellow BOTL thats all, i understand not wanting to give your hobby a bad image. i just believe someone might base there opinion on it more from the way a hookah man presents himself then how it hits your lungs, not that you presented yourself badly, im just trying to make a point. but its after 5 in the morning so my words are not leaving my head properly.


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## UIVandal

3 am and I have to drive 6 hours starting at 5, I feel you in the lack of sleep department!

I don't want anyone to think I was flaming, I just, as I said, want people to know that it's not all as grim as these posts can make it seem like.

If you want real information about hookahs beyond this, I suggest visiting Hookahpro.com.

Thanks for looking out for us, Blake!


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## gibson_es

no problem, i may have to check that place out in a couple weeks after i get the chance to take care of what was mentioned in out PM's. too bad puff dont have a small hookah section. but i understand it, cant have one for every tobacco form out there.


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## UIVandal

feel free to pm me with ANY questions you have, if I can't answer them I'll tell you that.

Hookahpro DEFINITELY has a 16-18 year old feel to it, if you get my drift. I'm not sure how much traffic a hookah section would get on here, to be honest.


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